Silver Beach Center

Create a day full of fun!

The Silver Beach Carousel is located at the Silver Beach Center – one of the best, year-round entertainment venues in Southwestern Michigan. It’s a fun place for all ages!

Stroll the boardwalk to the Silver Beach Carousel house. As soon as you enter you’ll feel a rush of happiness. Pick your favorite figure or chariot and take a spin … then pick another and another. Make silly faces in the photo booth. Then explore the free Silver Beach Amusement Park Museum. This wonder-filled place graced the shores of Lake Michigan from 1891-1971. It meant something special to every one of its millions of patrons through the years – and here you can experience its delightful past through interactive exhibits and memorabilia (be sure to ask the Great Zandini to tell your fortune).

Across the boardwalk from the Silver Beach Carousel is Shadowland on Silver Beach. This beautiful ballroom is the site of fun public and private activities throughout the year. Check our events page for upcoming good times or schedule your own unforgettable occasion – a romantic wedding, family or business celebration, prom or class reunion. Yes, you can reserve the carousel for your event, too.

Next explore Curious Kids’ Discovery Zone by Curious Kids' Museum. For a family-friendly admittance fee, kids ages 2 to 100 years old will have a blast for an hour or two interacting with 15 water activities, a climbing wall, virtual reality fun and traveling hands-on educational exhibits. Be sure to see what the roof is made of when you leave!

Then spend time in our gift shop where there are ideas for all ages -- from toys to books to scented decorative soaps. Need great gift ideas now? Browse our online gift shop and we’ll ship your selections to the destinations you give us! Shopping couldn’t be easier!

But making happy memories doesn’t stop here! Grab a bag of fresh popcorn or fluffy cotton candy from the carousel house and head across the street to the free, interactive Whirlpool Compass Fountain and splash in its mist on warm days. Or relax on Silver Beach, named one of the top ten family beaches in the U.S. by Parents Magazine. Stroll the pier to our historic lighthouse, go fishing or watch an angler reel in a big one.

There’s lots to do up on the bluff, too – shopping in quaint downtown St. Joseph, listening to outdoor concerts, golfing on Jack Nicklaus’ Signature Golf Course at Harbor Shores Resort or getting an ice cream. And don’t be in a hurry to go home. The sunsets on Lake Michigan are spectacular – and we have so many great places to stay from cottages along the beach to luxurious hotels – that you’ll want to turn a day of fun into a weekend or week of good times!